travelrngab
A site to simplify the frustrations of travel nursing.
Why Travel Nursing? Discovering Your Reasons to Travel
So you are facing some changes and considering travel nursing. You might have even contacted a recruiting agent and making some decisions on which company to work with. Before you get too far down that road though, I suggest considering some intentions for your travel.
Firstly, pay is the smallest of reasons to consider travel nursing. Sure, recruitment techniques always brag about pay, but I have found little improvement in take home pay while traveling when you consider expenses for living in the area. My current permanent salary far exceeds any travel assignment pay and that's before paid benefits, leaving me to scoff at recruiter enticements of pay.
The main reason I have found travel pay to be lucrative is that I no longer had home maintenance and upkeep to contend with, Mary and I also reduced to a one vehicle couple.
Trust me on this, if pay is your only motivation for travel you will be lonly, miserable, and burnt out in a short time.
So why travel then?
I have found it difficult to travel as a tourist on nurse pay, but taking travel assignments can change all that. Visiting long distance family can be a motivation for an assignment and provide more time than just a holiday visit.
I have a friend who is an avid snowboarding fan, guess where he spends winter assignments? One of my traveling goals is to avoid winter weather all together, which might explain my current Hawaii residence.
Yet, another nurse might choose to follow the changing seasons along eastern coast being sure to view the autumn leaves change. If, so starting in Maine during summer may be a great start.
Advancing your career might be a motivation as well. Sure hospitals want experience, but that doesn't mean you won't learn something or be exposed to new learning opportunities at various teaching hospitals.
If you are learning to speak Spanish there's great communities to live in and experience immersion with the culture. San Diego was a big help for me in mine.
Taking assignments means we can take extended time off if we choose. This concept blows aways folks holding a steady permanent position, as I saw when moving to Hawaii. Your extended vacation might be Europe or South America, it won't seem so impossible when you are accustomed to living a traveler's lifestyle.
There are other opportunities as well, have you considered working on a cruise ship, a large summer camp or resort?
Taking charge of your travel life is not much different than taking control over your life. Find your dreams, turn them into intentions and then call a recruiter.
This post is dedicated to Reanne, whose spirit for adventure is an inspiration.
Three Things I was Released From Because of Travel
When Mary and I left our home in Missouri everything we thought we needed was in our Honda Accord, and that has remained our motto, "If it doesn't fit in the car, it doesn't go. "
1. The first thing I noticed was the keys I held in my hand, only two. One for the car, another to the bycicle lock, gone were the days of carrying a pocketful. I remember looking at those keys in my hand thinking these are the keys to a new lifestyle.
Just the day before the goodwill truck had picked up a huge pile of former belongings left over from our garage sale. It was a release to be free of all that stuff and also still remains as a reminder for any time we consider a new purchase, "Do we really need that? "
I suppose it is possible to embrace this kind of lifestyle without traveling across the country, but I am not sure it is the best of ideas, though getting rid of clutter and unused stuff is always healthy.
Accumulation begins with seeking convenience, wasn't that latest gadget a great idea? Kitchens and the garage are notorious for this. Some of these tools can still be found in drawers and cabinets still unused and in its original wrapping, waiting for that handy time for when you can use it. I remember looking for such things, only to forget where I stored it when it came time to use it.
Travel made me face my hoard, and make decisions about what I really needed, especially when realizing the Honda could only hold so much. You know what? It felt good!
2. Another release travel provided was from time constraints. My days off used to be full of to do lists of all kind of urgent but not really important things to do. Sometimes going back to work was a relief because I only had one place to be.
There is now more time to play on the beach, ride bicycles, or any other activity I choose, like writing these entries.
Again, maybe this could be done without leaving home but just like all those gadgets that accumulate, so do chores, and errands, and tasks, and... well you get the idea.
3. An unusual release travel provides is from the news. Which isn't to say I don't care about the world about me, but it doesn't affect me quite the same way. Probably didn't affect me as much as I was led to believe anyway.
So taxes are going up in a local area, but I'll be gone by the time it takes affect. Oh well! Instead I keep in mind when I am in whatever location that I am a guest, therefore be respectful of the area. Keep it clean, obey their laws, and mind the local culture. I am not out to fix things, but try to leave with things a little cleaner and keep a grateful attitude.
Catchy Name for a Blog
Nurse-O-Rama describes itself as such; " a blog dedicated to bringing the best news, information, tips, and hacks all about the nursing profession to one convenient place." The content is laid out mostly in a list format which makes it easy to quickly peruse the information most appropriate for the reader and use the website as an easy reference point.
The latest post is 20 Tips for Picking the Right MSN Program and provides a nice list of useful sites to help a nurse determine which program, school, and financial assistance might work out best for them, a very handy list. One of my favorite posts, being the tech nerd that I am, is the June 2010 post titled 10 Awesome Android Apps for Nurses
Give them a look and see for yourself.
By the way, a rush for creative outlets has hit me and I will be posting several articles in the coming weeks, including my experiences living and working in Hawaii, so be sure to visit every now and then.
The Art of Getting an Interview
Don't get me wrong, I loved my time in Sacramento. We had spent the winter there and all of spring, making the most of popular biking trails and our nice club house and pool at the townhouse complex. Not to mention all the benefits of the city's proximity to wonderful places like Napa Valley, San Francisco, and Lake Tahoe. The job was great as well. The Kaiser night crew made me feel welcome as ever I had been, and the schedule was my dream, six nights on and eight off. It was like a vacation every other week.
So I tell my recruiter to find me something in Seattle and in response, I hear assignments are few in that area.
"Look, I began "I already have a place to live there and friends to join up with. So that is where I am going next."
It's amazing how recruiters can find positions in difficult places when pressed upon, especially when you make it clear that you know other recruiters willing to try.
After just a week or two I was calling for an interview, and this later became a concern I wanted to share.
What happened was that my recruiter called about an opportunity just outside of Seattle but didn't have all the details, and so left it up to me to dig up the rest. I called the director of the unit, and it turned out he had no idea of a traveler position, but did ask if I was interested in a permanent position, of course course the answer to that was "No".
A week later, and another similar suggestion from my recruiter had me calling an assistant director at a downtown Seattle hospital, and this time I spoke to someone who was still ill at home, and so she hadn't followed up on recruitment calls. She was pleasant at least and we spoke again when she felt better, which ended up with me getting the position.
The recruiter made a point of telling me that any of the Seattle positions could go quickly since there were fewer positions available compared to those wanting assigned in the area. Therefore me taking initiative in calling the right people was crucial.
However a later conversation with a Hospital staffing officer gave me a different perspective. This person told me that she would not work with that same staffing agency because they frequently encouraged nurses to contact directors on their own, such as myself, and that she would not hire any nurse from any agency that used such practices.
So what is a traveler to do?
Is it fair that some nurses have an edge on the competition? What about a nurse who is just following a recruiters advice on making the calls?
Why shouldn’t it be the recruiter’s job to make the proper contacts and follow a procedure?
This is an issue that I have rarely heard other bloggers advise new travelers to check with when selecting a recruiter and travel company, but worth considering and investigating on what kind of company you want to work for and how you want to win your assignments.
What do you think?
X10 Airpad Review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_EImGGWFiY
The X10 Airpad boasts to be the best tablet for its price, under $200, and while it took a while to convince me that a tablet of any kind was worth the buying I decided to go with this one because it certainly fit in my price range for a test. Its not that I couldn’t afford to pay more but most of the tablets currently on the market actually had greater specs than what I really needed for my personal use, since my phone already accomplishes so much.
X10
AirPad 7" Android Tablet Specifications
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CPU:
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1.2 Ghz Rockchip 2918 Cortex
A8 processor + 600 Mhz DSP
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Display:
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7" 800x480 resolution
TFT LCD screen
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Touch-screen:
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Capacitive multi-touch, 5
point touch
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OS:
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Android 2.3, with Flash 10.1
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Camera:
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2 Megapixel camera with video
recording and playback
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Sensors:
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3-axis accelerometer
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RAM:
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512 MB
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Memory:
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4 GB onboard, up to 32 GB
with microSD card
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6 hours movie, 20 hours
music, 6 hours WIFI Internet access
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Network:
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WiFi (802.11b/g)
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Ports:
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HDMI supporting 1080P output,
USB
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Size:
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195 mm x 120 mm x 13 mm,
Weight 400g (14 oz)
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4000 mAh rechargeable lithium
polymer
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My Nexus S review of android experience

My first experience with android was rooting a Hero, since then I enjoyed a year with a rooted EVO, but after several boot-looping experiences which I was unable to correct, the phone had become unusable, and I was forced to choose a new phone a little more premature than I would have liked. I had my heart set on the specs of the Galaxy S II but after enjoying two HTC phones and how easily they were rooted I also leaned toward the EVO 3D. I will admit here, that I was a “flash-aholic” when it came to trying out new ROMs and kernels, and would probably continue to have been so if it weren’t for the boot-loop and force closing problem I was having.
I decided to go ahead and get a Sprint Nexus S 4G instead of waiting another ten days for the EVO 3D, knowing that if I didn’t have a good experience with the Nexus, I could return it within the 30 day trial period. The Sprint rep. was very helpful and honest with his assistance, he showed me that the Nexus even in the store was not picking up as good a signal as the EVO 4G, and I expressed concern about receiving signal at my residence, as frequently I had to step outside in the back yard to have a phone conversation using the EVO.
Initial setup of the Nexus was surprisingly easy, but just as suspected the signal at home was weak, though not any worse than the EVO. A call to Sprint tech support the next day helped when they offered to send me an Airave unit, which I received in only one week and found a dramatic improvement for not only my phone but my wife’s EVO as well. Thank you Sprint!
My next adventure was whether or not to root this phone, as I held off until I decided I was going to keep it. It was a little bit of a challenge for me to set up adb capabilities on my computer but worth the research. So I was now set up to make the root possible, however, reading up on the Nexus didn’t convince me that rooting was to my best advantage at this time, so I have held off. The signal problem had been resolved, my battery life has been great, my phone is extremely fast, and tethering works right out of the box, most importantly is everything works well without bugs or any other problems. This doesn’t mean I won’t root when I see a clear advantage in the future, and fortunately rooting the Nexus is as easy as it can get.
Instead I have used ADW EX customizations to optimize this phone for my best android experience, and it is this point convincing me to keep it. The Nexus S has none of the Sprint bloat-ware profligation, and none of the manufacturer skin-ware. Using ADW EX and android widgets, I was able to customize my Nexus to suit my needs perfectly. The best part of the experience is that I got to choose how my phone worked, and my phone now operates exactly how I want it to, I might also mention that Launcher Pro would work very well also. Ah, the beauty of android.
Later the next week I went into a local RadioShack to have hands-on time with the EVO 3D to make certain I had made the best choice. I did that Sense 3 twirl thing and the rep mentioned the limitations of Nexus screen scrolling, I showed him that my phone also had infinity scrolling. He was surprised and didn’t go any further.
Sure the latest summer phones have better specs, more powerful hardware, and unique features (3D), but for me at least, they don’t really make for a better android experience than a Nexus. Here is a list of widgets I have included on my screens.
Agenda widget keeps an excellent display of my appointments.
Springpad for notes and general organization uses.
Google+ widget, as well as android system widget for general phone info.
I use Jorte calendar to fill up one entire screen.
The control widget for quick access to phone controls.
The Starbuck coffee widget cause I gotta admit, I like my coffee.
Skype video calls work excellently and I use it frequently since most phone users still don’t have Google Talk video. I have combined Facebook with Twitter using Tweetdeck, and this app I keep in an easily accessible hidden dock which contains many of my frequently used apps, one of the best features of ADW EX and used by many ROMs such as Cyanogen.
The overall flow and performance of the phone is flawless, handling multi-functioning easily, Bluetooth works very well, wi-fi at home and at my local Starbucks is good, pictures are adequate and the general feel of the phone is sleek without giving up that much on size coming from an EVO slab phone user. The idea that updates get pushed out to Nexus phones before anyone else will keep me a happy user for some time to come as the Nexus is a developer’s phone hence new applications often come to this phone first, the recent case of Skype video calling is a great example.
What do I miss most, or wished improved? I must admit I do miss that EVO kickstand, which was a nice feature though I can’t help but think it would mess with the sleekness of the Nexus. The missing sd card hasn’t been an issue for me, but I suppose it could be for others. There are times I still miss the LED notification light, though that is minor thing. I have read others complain of the back being slick and a fingerprint magnet, but I stuck an Egrip strip with a cool image to help in handling the phone better and reduce the space for smudges.
Are there better phones out there this summer? Sure, if you go by hardware specs, so if photo quality is important to you with a better camera and more features such as 3D, or if you just can’t live without that LED notification light, the Nexus may not be for you. A dual core phone is slightly faster, but hardly noticeable and does 1 second or less really make that much difference? Do they make better use of the android system though? In my opinion this is where the Nexus excels and for me that is the true strength of this phone and why I suggest giving it a serious consideration.






